Fruit-cleaner.



L. B. SKINNER.

FRUIT GLBANER. urmoumzrnnnn mm: 2, 1910.

967,680, Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

WITNESSES} NITED STATS PATENT OFFIG LEE BRONSON SKINNER. DIE DUNEDIN, FLORIDA.

FRUIT-CLEAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 15, 1910 Application filedlfune 2, 1910. Serial Ito. 564,592.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEE Bnonson SZIN- man, a; citizen of the United States, and a resident of Dunedin, in the county of Hillsbore and State of Florida, have invented an -tion in the manner hereinafter described,

and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2-42 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one end of the apparatus. Fig. t is a cross section of a modified form of the apparatus in which two sets of brushes are employed.

I will first describe the invention as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

A indicates a flat reciprocating brush, and B a rotary brush arranged in proximity to the lower edge hf the flat brush. By means of suitable gearing, such, for example, as

illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, endwisefreciprocation is imparted to the brush A and rotation to the brush 13,. in the direction of the arrow, or toward the flat brush. The latter is suspended by pivoted, swinging hangers C which are suspended in a frame D, and the rotary brush is also journaled in the same frame, 1 s shown in Figs. 1 and 2. On the outer side of the rotary brush B l arrange an inclined board E, which, to-

gether with the flat brush A, forms a tron h into which the fruit. to be cleaned is elivered, as illustrated in Fig. 1. It will be seen that the rotation of the brush B in the direction of the arrow (Figs. 2 and 3) car rice the fruit over against the flat brush A, which is constantly reciprocatcd at the same time, and thus the fruit is subjected to two brushing actions, whereby it is rapidly and thoroughly cleaned. The rotary brush car ries the dirt or other foreign material ad: hering to the fruit down in the space 6 indicated in Fi 2. lhe two brushes A and B being place at a slight longitudinal inclination, the fruit tends to roll or travel along delivered atthe lower end upon an inclined board F, or into any'suitablereceptacle. It will be seen that the flat brush A has a coinpoui d movement in view of its swinging supports C; that is to'say, it swings endwise in the arc of a circle, which movement aids to a considerable degree in quickly and effectively cleaning the fruit.

In Fig. 4, I illustrate a double form of the apparatus, that is to say, one in which two fiat brushes A. are arranged opposite each other and spaced apart, and two rotary brushes B and 13 arranged side by side each in the same relation to one of the flat brushes as the brush B to the brush A in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. In other words, by this arrangement I provide'a trough whose sides are formed of flat brushes A and whose bottom consists of two rotary brushes that are driven in opposite directions, each toward the ad jacent flat brush A. The fruit may be delivered freely into such trough and upon and into contact with the rotary brushes,

the use of my invention to fruit, since it is applicable to cleaning certain vegetable and other products.

What Iclaim i s:--

' 1. The improved cleaning apparatus, comprising a flat brush and pivoted hangers by which it is suspended, a rotary brusharranged adjacent and parallel to the lower edge of the flat brush, and means for both reciprocating one brush and rotating the other, substantially as described.

2. An improved fruit-cleaning apparatus,"

comprising two flat brushes arranged. oppositc each other and spaced apart, two rotary brushes arranged alongside and between the lower edges of the Hat brushes, whereby a brush trough is formed described, and means for simultaneousl reciprocating the Flat brushes, and driving the rotary brushes in opposite directions, each toward the adjacent flat brush, as shown and described.

LEE BRONSON SKINNER.

Witnesses I GAnoLInn L. l Monron, Gnn'rnunn P. Moment. 

